One of the most gratifying aspects of my job is hearing directly from collectors, artists and gallery owners about sales of specific pieces of art. Now that more and more people are becoming aware of our Sold! column—where we feature recent sales of contemporary realism—these stories are coming to me in greater numbers than ever.
No matter who brings me the story, I reach back to my journalism 101 days and ask the 5Ws (and an H)—the who, what, why, where, when and how—to flesh out the details. The collector shares what moved them to buy the piece (one woman collected pear paintings, another was building a body of work by a certain artist). Oftentimes, they make the purchase because a painting or sculpture stirs a fond memory, or is a way to remember a new one. They also tell me where they discovered the artwork. On many occasions, the collector saw it in the pages of this magazine—whether in an advertisement, a preview of a show we covered, an Artist Focus or in one of our special sections. That first work acquired frequently leads to multiple purchases, as it did in this installment of Sold! (Page 119) and lasting relationships with the artist and/or gallery.
It’s important to note that these sales range from works that command five figures to pieces by emerging artists priced in the hundreds of dollars. In this way, we tailor our offerings to budgets, tastes and collectors of all kinds. Many of the most prominent collectors, who now loan their works to museums for major exhibitions, started out humbly with whatever was accessible to them at the time. In addition to the most seasoned collectors and established of artists, American Art Collector is proud to serve as a platform for up-and-coming artists to connect with up-and-coming collectors.
I love hearing these stories because it means we are fulfilling our foundational mission of connecting collectors with art and artists, and the galleries who represent and promote them. So, please, continue to bring me your stories about the last piece you bought, the last piece you sold, and how American Art Collector helped pave the way.
Enjoy the October issue!
Sarah Gianelli
Managing Editor
sgianelli@americanartcollector.com
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